Michigan Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat and the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee who alleged she was fired because she would not “succumb to [his] sexual advances.”

Documents from the complaint obtained by BuzzFeed News include four signed affidavits, three of which are notarized, from former staff members who allege that Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, repeatedly made sexual advances to female staff that included requests for sexual favors, contacting and transporting other women with whom they believed Conyers was having affairs, caressing their hands sexually, and rubbing their legs and backs in public. Four people involved with the case verified the documents are authentic.

Reposting from below:
Funny how none of this is sinking Congressional Repubs yet. Not to say what is alleged against Conyers didn’t happen, but you can’t tell me male Republican politicians are cleaner than Democrats, especially when it comes to sexual harassment.

Sourcing of the the leak seems to be through this guy Cernovich, through GOP channels.
Follow the links from Josh Marshall tweet below.

Anyone who think there will not be very selective leaking to target Democrats is a fool.
As far as I know, there is no evidence at all that anybody prompted Moore’s accusers. But the Moore fiasco hurt the GOP badly, and they are going to get even.
I’d put some money on Dem to GOP ratio of accusations over next few weeks.

Edit: of course, whether the accusations are true is a completely separate issue. But I am not going to stay quiet if there is a campaign to selectively target Democrats and protect GOPers, and there will be just that if the WH and GOP leadership has dirt on people.

@Omnes Omnibus:
I want to hold abusive men accountable but where’s Paul’s or Turtle’s accusers? I’m sure they have had problems in the past that could destroy them. Imagine the Speaker of the House getting accused of sexual harassment (or worse molestation). Couldn’t happen to a nicer Randian asshole.

Yeah, I’m of the opinion that this is a massive, coordinated Whataboutism campaign aimed squarely at ratfucking prominent Democrats. Notice how it’s the most liberal members of the House and Senate that are being targeted? Right when polls are showing Doug Jones with a solid lead? With the tax bill almost ready to go up for a vote in the Senate?

Sorry, this is way more than three times. It’s enemy action, period.

“When they go low, we go high” got us Trump in the White House. And while that monster and his Congress full of monsters are trying to destroy us all, we are at war with those fuckers, and it’s good to remember that. Save the high moral standards for AFTER we’ve kicked them all to the curb.

When they go low, we go high” got us Trump in the White House. And while that monster and his Congress full of monsters are trying to destroy us all, we are at war with those fuckers, and it’s good to remember that. Save the high moral standards for AFTER we’ve kicked them all to the curb.

@ArchTeryx: One can hope is that the WH and GOP is as sloppy as usual, and if the initial clues in this case turn out to be correct, there will be a clear trail of selective leaking to the guilty parties.

Anyway, another argument for a social process to deal with a widespread social problem when what is acceptable, or at least excusable, suddenly changes.. Mob justice via social media and demand for instant summary judgment has limits and prolbems. And if WH and GOP are going to start an abusive smear campaign by very selectively leaking the dirt they have on people, that is one limit that has been reached, and one problem revealed, very quickly.

I think the commenter rickyrah pointed out this problem in very direct and pithy language a few days ago.

U.S. senators must be at least 30 years of age, citizens of the United States for at least nine years, and residents of the states from which they are elected.

Proposed Constitutional amendment:

U.S. senators must be at least 30 years of age, citizens of the United States for at least nine years, residents of the states from which they are elected, and, if male, must consent to the surgical removal of their testicles.

I hope we're not about to relive 2016: where material was selectively leaked to news orgs eager for scoops, and only a year later did how media got played come into focus (for some. I mean, seemed clear at the time for some)

@different-church-lady: Oh, please. If past Democratic behavior is anything to go by, we’ll fold at the first sign of a Republican fist.Where’s the leadership? Why aren’t they pushing back? Half the party is already looking for ways to throw Franken to the rabid dogs. Democrats revel in their moral superiority while we’re getting kicked to kingdom come.

@Adam L Silverman:
Cernovich, as you know, is a grade A MRAsshole. I first heard about him a few years back during the Gamergate fiasco and he was balls deep in it then. Someone’s leaking him this info. I believe the PTB in the GOP were pissed at the Moore stuff and are now coordinating this to take out Democratic members in top committees. Unfortunately, this movement is being partially hijacked by authoritarians trying to consolidate their hold on power.

At the same time there will likely be attempts to weaponize allegations against one’s political or business rivals. False allegations will eventually be created to ruin business or political rivals. If this happens, and I think it’s likely, it will also be used to undercut the legitimacy of the real accusers and undermine their allegations. If this does happen it will provide the opening for pushback from the forces of reaction that never want any progress to be made on any important issue because it makes them uncomfortable or challenges their authority or their privilege. And this will likely muddy the waters enough to allow for the beginning of what will be the inevitable push back. There has never been a period of progress, especially fast progress that resulted from long suppressed calls for justice, that wasn’t immediately followed by a fast and concerted push back. Including attempts to roll back all the gains and reestablish some imagined and idealized golden age before all the unfortunate and unnecessary change was pushed through. The forces of reaction are strong and they are always waiting for a chance to try to go back to get to a better future.

The problem is that no person is perfect and if you look long enough, you will find a case against them.
Hence the old KGB saying, “Give me the man and I’ll give you the case.”

And attempting to persuade voters on the basis of personal character has not worked well recently. And what is going on now might be good to remind Democrats to concentrate more on bad policy and less on bad people.

If the Democrats just whine about something being unfair, they might look weak. Just as the GOPers whining about leaks for the numerous Trump scandals looked weak. If they took the lead in proposing solutions to what I think is a very useful and needed social turning point they would look strong.

We need a process for dealing with all the accusations that will come out, not only for those who can accuse a famous person and will get some protection because of that, but the millions of anonymous people for whom the recent outing of famous people does not much at all, as far as I can see (unless we are content to sit on our rumps and guess about how much fear it instills into anonymous local tyrants. We can also focus on how to best protect accusers who come forward in good faith.

@Adam L Silverman: My fear atm is that having control of the both the House and Senate, the R’s also have control over access to sealed files and other information and do we really think they will have any compunction about releasing anything that will give them an advantage? Yep, nope. So I suspect we will actually see a lot of stuff that is actually factual and verifiable but it will primarily be aimed a the Dems since the Rs control the bodies. Which sucks.

And I agree with the folks who are saying we need to elect more women and we need to hammer over and over how awful R policy is.

@Odie Hugh Manatee: I would think any man of conscience has spent some time over the past several weeks wondering whether he ever did something he thinks is innocuous in a professional setting that was not perceived that way. Or asked someone out one time too many not intending it to be creepy, but is now wondering if it was taken that way.

And before someone says something, I’ve wondered that myself about my younger self.

@Omnes Omnibus: Yes They have held together in voting, which is a blessing. But a number of our best have shot their mouth off, giving the Republicans ammunition. Shall we talk about the Great Warren Hope telling a reporter that yes, the primaries were rigged? One of our strongest fighters is Franken and not a single f_cking Democrat stood up for him. “Let’s have hearings” my freaking arse.

@Adam L Silverman: So far, little has come out that any sensible person has to wonder about.

Even now, I don’t think anyone has to worry about being accused of asking some one out ‘one time to many’ after it was clear she was not interested.
Unless of course you had your hand and your dick shoved someplace it obviously shouldn’t have been while you were asking.
So, far, I have not seen a slippery slope in accusations. (though Franken might be the start, we need more information and see if more credible allegations come out. And we know now that there may be a plan behind the accusations against Franken, unlike any of the others).

Conyers may be liberal bit he is old as all get out. And if hasn’t retired by now he won’t with this. We can criticize, call for a review, and leave it to Conyers to give everyone the bird. He’s a big boy and can take care or himself.

Also, to counter pessimists and panic on this topic. I think one simple little rule is good to adopt: don’t give in to mob justice and demands for immediate or quick resignations over accusations. Justice always requires some kind of due process. Right now there are accusations that go into news and social media which builds outrage and popular demand that something be done about it. That might be OK for movie stars and comics. That is not a good way to handle a problem like this over the long term for our governance.

I don’t know if the Trumpsters and GOP are so stupid as to think they can selectively target Democrats and we will mindlessly demand they resign over and over again until none are left. But they might be that dumb.

@jl: I understand where you’re going, but that wasn’t what I meant. What I meant is that people of good conscience, as in people that are conscientious, whenever something like this happens, use it to reflect on they’re past actions and behaviors. And they are the ones who least need to do so because, being conscientious, they are the least likely to intentionally engage in such behaviors.

@Adam L Silverman: Hell, last week I was talking over dinner with my 84 year-old mother about the images & messages that I grew up with in the 60s, 70s, and 80s through books, and pop music, and films which often modeled or promoted interactions between the sexes that are now freely acknowledged as abusive, disrespectful, or just plain wrong. We both agreed that neither she nor my dad ever sat me or my brother down and talked about how to treat women. I guarantee that early on probably until I was in my mid-twenties I made a lot of mistakes and did some things that make me cringe now. I’d like to believe I learned from my mistakes and just became more mature. But I know a fair number of men who never did.

And it comes to mind that one reason selective targeting is possible for members of Congress is that the GOP leadership has allowed an absolutely unjust, medieval, and completely opaque, process for handling accusations against members of Congress and Congressional staff to remain in place. Scum like Ryan have made it worse by including material on how staffers can avoid being ‘provocative’. Which is total BS, staffers can’t show up to work on wet T-shirts and nothing else, Congress does have a dress code.

Dems could look strong by demanding reform to horrid Congressional process for handling its own complaints. In fact, I think I have a good idea for next little note to DiFi and Harris.

I will be surprised if we do not hear a woman eventually say another woman made unsolicited and unwelcome advances. Humans are fallible, sexual animals. Men have more physical and societal power and are routinely raised to be aggressive. Men are FARRRRR more likely to be sexually abusive. But women can be inappropriate and abusive, too.

I suspect lots more #Me Too stories will flood the headlines. Most will be creepy guys.

@Adam L Silverman: I just think back to the leakfest crap with Nunes and the great “unmasking” charade and realize there are folks in the Trump administration and Republican congressional power structure who will stoop to nothing to get a political advantage. I can only hope that the vast majority of their efforts will be as ineffectual as that escapade.

@marcopolo: Congress operating in wet t-shirts and nothing else, or demanding reform of the cesspool of Congressional process for handling complaints? Best case would be former for old rich white male assholes in Congress and the later for everyone else, IMHO.

@marcopolo: The advantage of being young and poorly informed is that, hopefully, one grows out of it.

I think part of what we’re going to see is a generational divide, not just in who has engaged in what activities, but also in the understanding of what is and is not acceptable. A lot of us have grown up and adopted and internalized the changing norms and accepted them as progress and for the better. But at some point we’re going to have a generational dividing line on this, like we had on racism. I remember having a conversation with one of my senior mentors shortly after I finished my PhD. He was in his late 60s/early 70s and this was in 2002. We were talking about racism and what was interesting was listening to him recall and then recount his own changing attitudes and understanding as he went from being a young adult in the early 60s to being one of the most senior members of his academic discipline in the early 00s. And he readily admitted that as the Civil Rights movement progressed that there was significant reckoning by those of his generation with what they’d been raised to believe and accept and do and what they were learning about why that was wrong and unacceptable. And that how with every advance in race relations in the US there is a similar reckoning and adjustment. And that every time that happens a small group, usually of a much more elderly cohort, simply cannot make the jump to the new normal brought about by the most recent changes. I think we’ve seen that with LGBTQ issues. And with women’s autonomy and reproductive health issues to a certain extent as well. And now we’re going to see the same thing in regard to this, which is certainly part of the women’s autonomy and reproductive health issues and concerns.

No Democratic resignations until Trump goes first. I think this has Ryan’s fingerprints on it. He’s been dreaming of these damn robber baron tax cuts since college and doesn’t want the Senate to chicken out on him like they did the ACA repeal. We need to demand all the settlements be made public.

I wonder if the GOP is overplaying their hand by going after Conyers. He has been in Congress so long, he doesn’t just know where the bodies are buried, he knows where those bodies buried other bodies.

He can probably give a couple of pages full of GOP Congressmen and staffers and their various misbehaviors to the WaPo without much effort.

@Adam L Silverman: “The Cosmic Schmuck Principle states that, if you often wonder if you’re being a cosmic schmuck, then you’re likely not a cosmic schmuck. But if you’re convinced that there’s no way you could ever be a cosmic schmuck, then you’ll be a cosmic schmuck for the rest of your life!” — Robert Anton Wilson, R.I.P.

There was a nasty harassment case at the Giant Evil Corporation that ended with an executive VP being fired and (I assume) several large settlements being paid out, not because the EVP had been harassing people, but because he was covering up for an underling who was harassing a co-worker, who happened to be her ex-boyfriend. So, yes, in that case the harasser was a woman harassing a man, and she had a powerful friend in that EVP who was helping her cover her tracks and firing people who blew the whistle on her.

Okay folks, I turned 55 about 15 minutes ago. Anyone know any amazing senior discount things I can now do other than officially join AARP? I am going to hit the sack but will check this thread tomorrow to see all the wonderful insightful comments I am sure will be waiting for me.

@jl: I’m willing to bet that Franken is squeaky clean except for that photo, for which he was probably egged on by someone who did not have his best interests in mind. There’s a reason he’s called for an investigation on himself: he knows there’s no there there.

@jl: Every once in a while you get an Altar Boy. Clean as a whistle ethically and financially. Has no skeletons in the closet. Loving family man, never cheated on his wife. Doesn’t brag about it. Obama fit that bill. It’s a rare, almost once-in-a-lifetime occurrence to find someone like that in politics.

10% off on Senior Tuesday (first Tuesday of month) at Kroger/Fred Meyer stores, plus many other retailers. I also get 10% off all weed-related purchases at my favorite dispensary here in town so you need to move to Oregon. :)

@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: @TenguPhule: Balloon-Juice is broad minded, and equal opportunity. Even these dang kids these days are welcome to be pre-old cranky pants and yell ‘Get off my lawn’ any time they want.

Jackie Speier said there were at least two sitting members with allegations against them–one Democrat and one Republican. Obviously, we now need to know who the Republican is. I expect a clamor to unseal the settlements to name the names of any Members(current or former) accused or sued for harassment.

LIke i said in another thread, I fully expect some kind of complaint or accusation about Schumer to come up. Especially if the Tax Cut Bill gets bogged down in any sort of way.

They are going to demand that misdemeanor by a Democrat be met with the death penalty; and every felony by a Republican met with a stern talking to and a slap on the wrist. Because you know, that’s how they’ve always rolled.

We need to be big enough to be able to investigate these issues without wanting to ‘slit the throat’ of everyone that has an accusation pop up immediately. Just don’t give in to the lizard-brain demanding revenge.

@marcopolo:
Don’t be shy about asking for a “senior discount” at your favorite restaurant. Many quietly offer a 10 to 20% discount, but you have to ask. Be sure to be generous with your tip if you get it; a lot of oldsters are notorious cheapskates, so don’t make the rest of us look bad.

This is a much more serious charge than the ones against Frankin. Assuming it’s true, I won’t support him.
It sounds like the source is problematic, referring to the journalist not un named women. That needs checking out even if the accusation is true.
We can’t defend the indefensible. It would be best if we can establish proportional response now because there are in fact different levels of harassment and it’s not useful to make every little social gaffe a hanging offense. Then it would go back to nothing getting done about reports and Moore would probably get elected.
The regular news I saw was saying well what about Trump? And why did he only criticize Frankin?

An illustrator who goes by @DipswitchDan on Twitter took a look at the metadata of the Sen. Franken photo and found the photograph was from several days before Tweeden claims it was taken, that it was taken with a Nikon D2H which probably was used by a USAF photographer, and last modified on the day of Sen. Franken’s electoral victory.

Fairly soon there won’t be any Democrats pure enough to serve in Congress. I’m glad that attention is being paid to a serious issue but the scope and pervasiveness seems to be overwhelming. Is it really practically possible or even desireable to exclude every man who ever patted a woman’s ass from public life? Or to police everybody’s sexual advances with other adults? We need to develop some pretty specific guidelines about what does and does not merit exclusion from public life and thay pretty quickly. One gets the feeling that there actually is something indelicate about sex after all. It’s damned depressing. As usual the Dems will have crises of conscience as the Republicans romp on their merry way.

@Adam L Silverman: In my experience, what most men (and to a lesser, but maybe more damaging, extent women) of conscience ought to be asking themselves is how many times they’ve observed or heard about this type of behavior and dismissed or made excuses for it. “He doesn’t mean anything by it.” “That’s just his way — ignore him.” “You should learn to take a compliment.”

The problem isn’t that all men are creeps. The problem is that we are told that a certain level of creepiness is just to be expected. Women are expected to deal with it, and it’s so normalized that it doesn’t even register with a lot of people until it starts getting laid bare like this. Even then, the men and women and children who are coming forward with these stories will be accused of overreacting by people who honestly think they are overreacting because things have always been this way.

Not to brag, but I have never voted for a Republican. By the time I was able and ready to vote I was dumbfounded by the mendacity of Nixon, who broke me of any tendency to vote for any Republican, anywhere.